A. A typical workday for me, I get here at 9 to 10 a.m. and I’m here until dinner service ends, usually from 10:30 p.m. to midnight.

Q. Any recent experiments?

A. Right now I’ve started using bresaola in some unique ways.

Q. Favorite nonkitchen activity?

A. Riding motorcycles.

Q. Last movie you enjoyed?

A. “Batman: The Dark Knight.” I think that’s the last time I went to the theater.

PETER ROWE

A lot of qualities have been attributed to various foods over the years, from libido-boosters to coma-inducers. Various local chefs have crafted menus for Valentine’s Day playing on the suggestive (and chemical) properties of food. There are tailored “His and Hers” menus at several romantic spots. For the timid, there are aphrodisiacs; for the energetic, there are sedatives and for the sleepy and overworked, there are stimulants. No matter your mood or attitude toward Valentine’s Day, there is a menu out there that will help make the evening special.

Glass Door at Porto Vista Hotel

1835 Columbia St., Little Italy; (619) 544-0164

This Mediterranean-style restaurant is a romantic spot for a meal with panoramic views of the San Diego Bay and downtown skyline. Chef Rob Conaway has prepared an aphrodisiac menu including hand-shucked oysters, Kobe beef filet, lobster ravioli and a “chocolate ménage a trois” paired with a bottle of Piper Sonoma sparkler for dessert. The three-course menu, served Feb. 13 and 14, is $120 per couple, and $10 will be donated to the American Red Cross for relief efforts in Haiti.

Avenue 5

2760 Fifth Ave., Bankers Hill; (619) 542-0394

The stylish restaurant is offering a three-course dinner menu prepared by chef Colin MacLaggan for $60 per person. Options include seared foie gras, Australian rack of lamb and jasmine pot de crème. Jazz pianist Elliott Lawrence will be playing live on Valentine’s Day evening to help set the mood. The special Valentine’s dinner menu will be available Feb. 12, 13 and 14.

Mistral at Loews Coronado Bay Resort

4000 Coronado Bay Road, Coronado; (619) 424-4000, ext. 6300

Chef Patrick Ponsaty has put together gender-based menus for the Loews Coronado’s signature bistro. The gents get Maine lobster bisque, wild striped sea bass, marinated and grilled Brandt Beef “cote de boeuf” and Sicilian pistachio petit pot de crème, while the ladies will dine on butternut squash and vanilla soup, Pacific lobster medallion, milk-fed rack of veal and crispy praline and semisweet chocolate palette. The special four-course menu costs $62 per person and is served Feb. 13 and 14 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Bertrand at Mister A’s

2550 Fifth Ave., Bankers Hill; (619) 239-1377

Bertrand at Mister A’s, one of San Diego’s hallmark restaurants-with-a-view, is trying its best to help the love connection with a Valentine’s three-course menu complete with love-potion cocktails. The penthouse restaurant offers incredible views of downtown San Diego and the bay. Dishes include Dungeness crab salad, seared New York steak carpaccio and roasted California rack of lamb. The menu will be featured from 4:30 to 10 p.m. on Feb. 14 for $85 per person.